Copper wire for the commercial and residential market is typically supplied on a plastic spool. The wire comes in different gauges, and a typical spool may contain 500 feet as an example. In a typical job setting, electricians may use individual spools of wire that they carry to the job site or they may put multiple spools on a wire cart or rack. The wire is heavy and difficult to carry. The wire is unprotected and subject to damage during storage, transport and use. Damage may occur to the protective insulation covering the wire by many different causes. If this occurs it creates a major safety hazard, which could ultimately create an electrical short and start a fire. Some of the ways an unprotected wire spool could become damaged are listed as follows: 1. The wire spool is heavy. There is no convenient way to carry the wire. If dropped the wires pool may break resulting in a sharp edge on the wire reel. While the wire is being unwound for use, the wire insulation can be cut on the sharp edge of the spool. 2. It is not unusual to have electrical contractors working on a job site along with other tradesmen such as welders, plumbers and carpenters. The work site can be crowded with equipment. The electrical wire is typically in close proximity to welding equipment, saws, and other tools. Tradesman often work in the ceiling above the electrical contractor and over the unprotected spools of wire. The electrician typically stores the open reel of electrical wire in the back of the truck or tool box along with other equipment. The wire insulation can be snagged on sharp tools during transport. After the job is completed for the day, it is not unusual for the electrician to throw the unused wire in the back of the truck and in this can be another source of damage.
Accordingly, it is the general object of the present invention to provide a protective case to be placed over the spool of electrical wire to protect it during storage and transport. The case protects the plastic wire spool from potential breakage if dropped or being accidentally hit by a hard object that may be close in proximity to the wire spool in the back of a truck or storage box. Should an edge of the wire spool become broken, then the electrical wire is exposed to this sharp edge and the insulation may become damaged during use, creating a safety hazard.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a convenient way to carry the heavy wire spool. The protective case incorporates a handle for this purpose. The handle facilitates safe transport of the wire.
It is a further object of the invention to protect wire if the wire spool is used on a wire rack and moved throughout the job site. The case prevents to debris, and sharp objects during use on the job site.
It I another object of the invention to be able to place the case directly over the wire spool without first having to remove the wire spool from the spindle of the wire rack.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a dispensing hole or slot for the wire.
It is another object of the invention to prevent the wire spool from free spinning on the spindle of a wire rack and thus preventing the wire from becoming tangled.
These and other aspects of the present invention are set forth in the following description of the attached drawings which depict the preferred embodiments of the invention.